Get Yours-Elf Together!
by deannajanine4444
Summary: When heading home from university for Christmas break, Marinette is literally bumped into her new destiny by a complete stranger. Does her destiny really have to include wearing an elf costume? A Christmas romance. AU - Aged up, no miraculous, human kwamis
1. I'll Be Home for Christmas

The subway was filled with incessant chatter as Marinette boarded. Her eyes scanned the seats in search of a place to sit. With no luck, she sighed and resigned herself to standing. She didn't spare a glance at the overhead bins, knowing that there wouldn't be room for her suitcase. Christmas in Paris was busy; travel was near impossible this time of year. Even so, Marinette couldn't help but smile to herself. This subway ride was the last obstacle in her way before she would see her family again.

A couple of days ago her university semester had ended. She took her time packing since her friends had decided to have a Christmas party before going to their homes. It was senior year for most of the girls, so they wanted to make sure they were able to celebrate together one last time. Marinette had knitted beanies for all of her friends, making sure that she picked all of their favorite colors. Everyone brought their favorite side dish, while her best friend, Alya, had cooked the turkey. When the group had learned that Marinette grew up in a bakery they put her in charge of dessert. As much fun as it was, the party was a lot of work and she was ready for a few weeks of rest.

Marinette was jostled out of her thoughts when she was bumped to the ground from her upright position. Her eyes widened with shock when she saw that she had landed on her suitcase, causing the zipper to bust. Clothes exploded from what once had been a very tightly packed bag, littering the dirty subway floor. She choked as she noticed her personal effects were being trampled under the feet of the passengers who were deboarding. Filled with anger and humiliation, she jerked her head up to find the culprit. She was met with the sight of a blonde man with flushed cheeks staring at a pair of her panties that he was holding.

"Excuse me!" she yelled, grabbing the garment from his hands.

His cheeks reddened to an unhealthy scarlet and his emerald eyes darted to meet her own and his jaw fell open. Panicking, he hurried to apologize. "I'm so sorry, miss! I didn't mean to run into you, an old friend of mine saw me and jumped on me and-"

"And that made you grab my underwear, you pervert?!"

He winced as if her words had physically smacked him. Trying to recover, he cleared his throat and opened his mouth to attempt to defend himself when he was interrupted.

"Marinette Dupain-cheng, is that you? It figures that after all these years I would find you on the floor surrounded by trash. The look suits you."

Taking her eyes off the flustered man kneeling in front of her, she narrowed her eyes at the blond laughing maliciously next to him. "Chloe," she replied through gritted teeth. Marinette then faced the man again. "I should've known someone like you would hang out with her. Very funny you two." With a huff, she began piling her personal effects into her busted bag.

"Here, let me help you."

Quickly snatching the shirt he picked up, Marinette snapped back, "I think you've already helped enough."

"Come on, Adrikins, this is our stop! Let's go!" Chloe announced, immediately turning on her heels.

Green eyes filled with remorse and Marinette felt a little guilty that she had let her wrath out on him. However, she wouldn't put it past Chloe to employ someone else to do her bidding. She had done that plenty of times in their years of schooling. Whenever Marinette had a bad day at university, she reminded herself that it could be worse. Chloe could have attended her school, but instead chose to stay in Paris to study. Thinking of this instantly made everything else better in contrast.

When the man stood to follow Chloe, she shook any thought of forgiveness out of her head. He was just like Chloe. Instead of sparing him another word or glance, Marionette focused on gathering her items. Had she given him the benefit of the doubt for a moment longer, she may have noticed the way he turned around and hesitated by the subway door. He looked down to the floor in shame before getting off.

Tears threatened to fall from Marinette's eyes while she stuffed her belongings in her suitcase. The subway soon braked at her stop and she scanned the floor one last time. She awkwardly exited the car, pulling her pack with one hand while the other held it shut. This method worked well, until she was almost reached the top of the steps and she lost her grip, effectively spilling her items down the stairs. The tears that had been accumulating began to pour and Marinette fell to her knees, not caring who saw. She couldn't feel anymore humiliated than she did in that moment.

People passed her by, many not even noticing the dark haired girl crying her eyes out. Some spared a glance of pity, and a few particularly grouchy people looked on her with disdain. Marinette didn't pay attention to any of them however, her vision watery and throat tight.

"Oh my goodness, are you alright?"

Snapping her head up to see the source of the high pitched voice, Marinette saw a woman a few years older than herself, dressed in a bright red peacoat that flared from her waist down to her knees. Black tights covered her legs down into her matching ankle boots. Her hair was two toned, black stands tied into two space buns with scarlet hair hanging to her shoulders. Although she was hard to miss with her vivid coat, the first thing Marinette noticed about the woman was her eyes. Deep sapphire irises that were laden with concern gazed upon her and all Marinette could do was shake her head.

"Here," the woman said, extending her hand, "let me help you up." Once she pulled Marinette to her feet, she looked down at the clothing scattered along the stairs. "Are those yours?" Finding herself still unable to speak, Marinette nodded.

The woman quickly gathered all of the garments and shoved them into the open suitcase. She then opened her very large black purse and produced a roll of duct tape. After securing the perimeter of the suitcase she turned to Marinette and stretched out her hand again. "My name's Tikki. That tape should hold you together until you get to wherever you're headed," she said with a bright grin.

"I'm Marinette. Thanks for all your help." She managed a smile as she shook Tikki's hand.

"You're very welcome. I hope your day gets better, Marinette." Tikki's words were laden with sincerity, as if they had been friends for a lifetime. Glancing at her watch, she exclaimed, "Oh! I have somewhere I need to be. Will you be okay if I leave?"

"I think I'll manage. Thanks again for your help, Tikki."

The redhead smiled brightly. "Anytime! Stay safe." She began to jog away, then called over her shoulder, "Maybe we'll meet again sometime!"

Muttering under her breath, Marinette said to no one in particular, "Maybe, Tikki. Maybe."

The rest of the journey home was pretty uneventful, which Marinette was incredibly thankful for. She had a headache and was sure she looked like a walking disaster. The trip became a vague memory, however, once she walked through the front door of the patisserie and felt her parent's arms around her. Their love melted through her skin into her weary bones and calmed her soul. A smile found its way on Marinette's face as she returned her parents affections.

Mrs. Cheng was the first to speak. "Oh, Marinette, we missed you so much," she said, then placed a kiss on her cheek.

"I missed you both, too," she replied, squeezing her parents tightly. The family stood that way for a while, making up for lost time, as it had been several months since they had been together. Finally, they came apart.

"Sweetie, what happened to your suitcase?" Tom asked when he lifted the taped up bag in order to bring it up the steps.

Marinette sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling her headache return full force with the reminder. "Can we just call it a long story and forget about it, Dad?"

A concerned glance was shared between the couple. "Sure thing, sweetie," her mom replied after a beat. She reached out to push her daughter's shoulder lightly toward the direction of the stairs. "Why don't you get some rest for awhile and come down later? You must be exhausted."

"Thanks, mom," she gratefully whispered, forcing a smile. Marinette then made her way up the three flights of stairs that stood between her and her bedroom. Once upstairs she gave the room a once over, noting that nothing had changed while she was gone besides a thorough dusting to prepare for her stay. The walls were still pink, her photos from over summer break were proudly displayed on bulletin boards, and her plants on the balcony appeared to still be alive, at least from this angle. Trudging up the steps to her loft bed, Marinette couldn't help but reminisce over the day's events. Fresh tears began to fall, these ones much less desperate than those that fell on the subway floor, but persistent nonetheless. Finally, she laid down and softly cried until she fell asleep.

After a few hours, Marinette awoke with a groan. Her eyes felt crusty and her skin was sore from where her clothes pinched her since she hadn't changed into pajamas. The buzz from her pocket let Marinette know that she had received a text. She typed in her passcode and squinted at the bright light coming from the screen.

 **Hey girl, the plane landed. TTY in a few weeks! xoxo**

The message came from Alya, who decided to use her break to travel to Asia as an intern with professional journalists. It was a great way to get connections for after she graduated in the spring and would be job searching. The group would be heading to several different countries and writing about the ethic groups there. Alya immersed herself fully into the opportunity, deciding to not use her phone or computer for non work purposes while she was away so that she wouldn't be distracted.

Marinette was excited for her best friend, really, but wished she had someone to talk to. Rose flew to the country of Achu to spend Christmas with her long distance boyfriend, Ali. Juleka was sailing with her mom to Italy. After responding to Alya's text, Marinette noticed that it was 2:14 am in Paris. She didn't feel close enough to Alix or Mylene to justify calling them this early in the morning. With a sigh, she resigned herself to be alone until the world rose from their slumber.

After changing into her pajamas, Marinette crawled beneath her covers, where she tossed and turned restlessly for half an hour. Deciding that she was not going to fall back asleep, she pulled herself into the skylight above her bed. She remembered that it was late November when the frosty air bit viciously at her skin. She reached down and grabbed the blanket off her bed and wrapped herself in it's warmth. The night air had always helped her think.

Although today (or yesterday, rather) had been the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back, Marinette had been bottling her troubles for some time. She hadn't been able to talk to Alya much lately, not since she had gotten engaged to Nino. When she wasn't focused on her studies, she was busy planning a wedding, not leaving a lot of room for girl time. Marinette was happy to see the lycèe sweethearts preparing to tie the knot next summer, but worried that she would be alone. Most of her friends were in steady relationships and ready to receive a ring themselves. Sure, Marinette had been on dates, but nothing had ever come from them. She wasn't the only single girl in her friend group, but she was the only one to never have a boyfriend and she couldn't help but worry if she was undesirable. Alya had always told her to straighten her shoulders because guys are always nervous to go for the girls who are out of their league and "Marinette, you are a league all your own, only the best ones deserve you and everyone knows it." It always cheered her up and made her positive she would find love someday. However, Alya hadn't been around to remind her of this too much lately and the thoughts grew in Marinette's mind.

Also, this past semester at university had not been her best. Her major of fashion design was one she enjoyed, but she had been running out of inspiration lately and her professors noticed. She had scored poorly on several of her assignments over the past months. Her GPA was shot and she knew it, she just didn't know how bad yet. So, while everyone would be having fun or going on some grand adventure on their break, Marinette would be at work at the bakery. She hadn't talked to her parents about it yet, but was sure that they would hire her.

.o.O.o.

"I'm sorry, sweetie, but we can't hire you."

Marinette's eyes went wide and she couldn't believe her ears. Her heart rate began to increase as she panicked. "W-what do you mean, Mom? I need a job over break and I counted on working here!"

Coming behind his wife and placing his hands on her shoulders, Tom answered, "Marinette, you haven't worked for us since lycèe, so we figured you didn't want to do it again. Business has been booming lately and we needed someone who could help us full time. It added a lot of expense to the budget, but we need her help to keep ahead of orders. We're still making a profit, but not enough to be able to pay both of you. I can't justify firing her during the busiest season of the year in order to hire you for a few weeks. I'm sure you can understand, sweetie."

"I understand, Dad," Marinette replied dejectedly, shoulders slumped. As disappointed as she was, she could never ask her parents to let their employee go for her sake. They always supported her in her dreams, though Marinette knew that they had hoped to pass the bakery down to her. It was good for them to find someone who had a true interest in baking. "Who did you hire to help you?"

Sabine opened her mouth to answer, but was cut off by the ringing of the bell at the front door. Turning from their place in the kitchen, the group saw a young woman holding an apron in the crook of her elbow.

"Marinette?!"

Gasping in surprise and recognition, Marinette exclaimed, "Tikki?! You work for my parents?"

Tom looked between the two girls in confusion. "You two know each other?"

Not yet recovered from her shock, Marinette blubbered and was happy that Tikki was able to coherently answer for her. "Yes, sir! We met yesterday on the subway. I thought you looked familiar, Marinette, but had no idea you were the famous Marinette Dupain-Cheng! What are the odds?"

After taking a deep breath, Marinette responded. "It sure is funny how things work out, huh?" She nervously giggled, embarrassed by their first encounter. Still, Tikki seemed friendly and genuine, so Marinette hoped to befriend her. After all, they were probably going to see each other quite often.

"Alright, that's enough standing around," Sabine announced. "Let's get to work!"

Tikki removed her signature peacoat and revealed the white baker's uniform underneath. She followed Tom into the kitchen as Sabine escorted Marinette to the door. "Your father and I really are sorry, Marinette. You're dressed beautifully today, why don't you go out and look for a place to work?"

Marinette looked down at her long sleeved gray dress. She had sewn it last year and decided to pair it today with black tights and knee high black boots. A pale pink belt around her waist added a pop of color. She decided to tie her hair in a top knot on the crown of her head, her signature hairstyle these days.

"Alright, Mom, I'll be back by noon. Wish me luck!" she called out after sliding into a long pink peacoat.

Several hours later, Marinette's feet hurt and she couldn't feel her cheeks. "It's w-w-way t-too cold for th-this," she groaned to herself, teeth chattering. It was past noon and Marinette had lost track of how many businesses she visited in her search. Unfortunately no one seemed to be hiring, but she didn't want to return home defeated, so she kept walking. As she passed by an alleyway she heard a soft mewing. Pausing in her gait, she turned towards the alley and waited quietly. A couple minutes passed and she was almost convinced she hadn't heard anything at all when another mew cut through the air. She headed toward the sound and overturned the boxes and trash that littered the area.

After flipping over a pile of newspaper, Marinette was met with a small black kitten with wide chartreuse eyes. It's expression looked afraid, but the creature was too stiff from the cold to dart away. She held her hand to it's nose to sniff before lifting the kitten into her arms. After feeling it shiver, she unfurled her scarf, wrapped it around the ball of fur, and began her trek home.

"Marinette, we were getting worried about you! It's almost two o'clock!" Sabine exclaimed, rounding the counter when Marinette entered the bakery.

"I'm sorry for scaring you, Mom," she sighed while her mother wrapped her in a tight hug.

Releasing her daughter, Sabine looked up to her and inquired, "Well, did you find any work?"

"No, but I did find this," Marinette replied, exposing the black kitten cradled in her arms.

"Oh my goodness, poor thing, out there in the cold! Take it upstairs and put some milk on the stove. There are some old towels underneath the bathroom sink you can wrap it in once Tikki comes out. Poor thing," she cooed, pushing Marinette past her confused father and up the steps.

After opening the apartment door Marinette got to work immediately She set the kitten on the sofa and laid her coat over his still shivering body. Luckily her parents were adventurous bakers, so they had a small carton of goat's milk that she poured into a saucepan. Once steam started rising from the surface she tested the temperature against her inner wrist. Deeming it safe for kitten consumption, she carefully transported the liquid to a saucer that she placed in front of the creature. He jumped up and began lapping the warm milk without wasting any time.

"Oh my goodness, what a cutie! Who do we have here?" Tikki exited the bathroom and knelt in front of the starving cat.

"A stray," Marinette responded, "I found him in an alley. Poor thing was half froze."

"He's very fortunate that you found him, although I don't think he's a stray."

Marinette knit her brows in confusion. "What makes you say that?"

"Look," Tikki reached her hand towards his neck and pulled on a piece of black ribbon that blended into his fur, revealing a small golden bell. "It's likely that he darted out of the door when someone opened it. The cat I grew up with was a notorious escape artist. I wouldn't be surprised if his owner was looking for him as we speak."

Alarmed, Marinette jumped to her feet. "Oh no, they must be worried sick. I'll have to get the word out that he's here."

"Let me help you!"

Pausing, Marinette turned to Tikki. "Aren't you working right now?"

The young woman shrugged her shoulders. "I'm sure they won't mind if I take off a couple hours early, especially if it's to help their daughter. I'll ask and come right back, okay?"

Marinette simply nodded her head. It wasn't long before Tikki returned, now off the clock. The pair took pictures of the cat and printed out as many flyers as they could. They began to post them around the city, concentrating on the area nearby where the cat was found. Shivering, the girls found themselves pulling their coats tighter and tighter as the sun began to set.

"I really hope the owner sees these posters. He's a cute kitten, but I want to see him reunited with his family."

"Me too, Tikki," Marinette replied, keeping in stride with Tikki. They only had a few more sheets to post before heading back to the bakery.

"Well, the only thing we can do is hope and wait. Oh, by the way, how did your job search go?"

Groaning, Marinette answered, "Not well. It doesn't seem like anyone is hiring. Or maybe it's my chronic bad luck."

"Bad luck?" Tikki asked in curiosity.

"Oh, the worst. Ever since I was little I've had a knack for being unlucky. I always managed to trip on air, the school bully was in my class every year and had a personal vendetta against me, no matter what time I start going somewhere I'm always late, and the list goes on. One time when I was fifteen we had a national television show filmed at our house and they broadcasted live in my bedroom, showing my photos of my celebrity crush at the time! It was so humiliating!"

Tikki couldn't help but laugh. "Marinette, we all go through embarrassing situations. That doesn't make you unlucky!"

"Easy for you to say," she grumbled.

"Well, if you're convinced you have bad luck, maybe you need to get some good luck in your life!"

"Yeah, because bottles of it are being sold on the street corner."

Tikki stopped and frowned at her friend's pessimism. Marinette turned to face her once she noticed she was walking alone and saw Tikki digging through her purse rather forcefully. "What are you looking for?"

"I," shove, "am," grab, "looking," grunt, "for... Ah, here it is!" She produced a small octagonal box with a red oriental design on top.

"Just how much do you carry in your purse?" Marinette wondered.

Tikki laughed again. "Way too much, probably, but I can't bring myself to empty it. Many people have called me their lucky charm because my bag seems to have exactly what they need. Speaking of, I think it's time you have a lucky charm of your own!" She stretched the box towards Marinettet skeptical face.

"A lucky charm?"

"Open it! My grandmother gave these to me and said they contained ladybug luck!"

Marinette quickly held her palms up. "Your grandmother? I couldn't possibly accept this!"

Tikki grabbed Marinette's hand and wrapped her fingers around the box. "Too late, I already gave it to you. Besides, my grandmother taught me to always help people wherever I go in life and I believe these will help you."

Hesitantly, Marinette opened the box. Inside was a pair of round, solid black earrings. "You said these have... Ladybug luck?"

"Yep!" Tikki announced with a grin. "My family has a legend that whoever wears these earrings will be blessed with the miraculous luck of the ladybug, the best kind of luck there is. I wore them when I interviewed to work at your parent's bakery and they hired me despite only knowing how to make chocolate chip cookies. I've learned so much from them and I love working there. I also wore them when I found you in the subway and I can tell we are going to be great friends already. So, as your friend, I want to pass on my ladybug luck to you. Please wear them Marinette!"

Marinette looked down at the earrings, then to the imploring eyes of her new friend. She found that she couldn't deny Tikki's request. "Alright, I'll wear them. But only until the end of December! They belong in your family."

"Oh, thank you Marinette!" Tikki hugged her tightly. "I promise you won't regret it!"

They finished hanging the flyers and headed back to the bakery. After giving the kitten a kiss on the nose, Tikki headed to her apartment. Marinette went upstairs to her bedroom and looked at the box.

"What's the worst that could happen? Let's see if these actually work," she said, slipping the earrings on. Curled up in bed, Marinette fell asleep and wondered if her life would finally start looking up.


	2. Blue Christmas

Adrien sighed as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. The past couple days had flown by like a whirlwind and he couldn't keep up. His trouble had started when he asked Chloe for help getting out of the house. All he wanted to do was see the Christmas decorations scattered throughout Paris and watch as the City of Light shone brighter than it did the rest of the year. His mother had taken him on long walks to do so every year as a child until her untimely death had taken her from him. The last time he had experienced the beauty of Paris at Christmas was when he was thirteen and he longed to venture out again.

Chloe agreed to meet him on the subway after he escaped his bodyguard. After all, it was the last place he would be searched for since his friend made it clear she did not board them if avoidable. His father saw walking around the city as dangerous and driving was wasteful, so it was no surprise he refused to allow Adrien go.

"You can see the city perfectly well from your room, Adrien," his father said when he dismissed his request. He then added, "You are 22 years old, you have more important things to do than look at Christmas lights."

With a heavy heart, he called his oldest friend, who offered to meet him and take him where he wanted to go. He had been ecstatic as he boarded the subway car. Unfortunately, his excitement soon disintegrated when Chloe pounced on him as soon as she came into view. She had made a habit of throwing herself at him for years, yet it still took him off guard, unused to physical affection from anyone else these days.

He stumbled slightly, but managed to hold himself upright. However, he was fully aware that he had inadvertantly bumped someone. When he turned to apologize he was shocked to find a dark haired girl on the ground, surrounded by the contents of a broken suitcase. Adrien immediately felt embarrassed for putting her in such a situation and quickly knelt to help her. He reached for the first piece of clothing he saw and was about to hand it to her when he heard the distinct click of a camera shutter, years of modeling experience enabling him to pick up on the sound anywhere. Freezing, he looked down to see what he was holding and felt blood rush to his face when recognition dawned on him.

He was startled when he heard the girl yell, "Excuse me!" She reached for the offending garment and he quickly surrendered it, growing more humiliated by the second. His eyes darted to hers and he quickly grew flustered even further when he saw the fury they held.

Adrien immediately attempted to diffuse the situation and apologize. "I'm so sorry, miss! I didn't mean to run into you, an old friend of mine saw me and jumped on me and-"

She cut him off in indignation. "And that made you grab my underwear, you pervert?!"

Her words caused him to recoil. Another click rang in his ears and he knew he had to get the situation under control before the photos spread to the media. His voice felt thick in his throat, so he coughed to clear it and was about to speak when-

"Marinette Dupain-cheng, is that you? It figures that after all these years I would find you on the floor surrounded by trash. The look suits you."

Adrien could have died right then and there, melted in a puddle on the subway floor. He knew that Chloe wasn't perfect, but he had never heard her speak so condescendingly. The guilt at putting this poor girl in this situation grew as he realized Chloe had just advertised her full name, meaning she would join him in the tabloids. Suddenly he felt okay with people thinking he was a jerk pervert, as long as it meant they wouldn't remember her name or face. She didn't deserve that.

When the woman responded to the taunt, he was surprised that she addressed his friend by name. "Chloe," she spat. "I should've known someone like you would hang out with her. Very funny you two."

Once again, Adrien attempted to rectify the problem when he saw her pulling her items from the floor. "Here, let me help you," he said calmly, making sure he reached for a less private piece of fabric.

"I think you've already helped enough," she disdainfully responded, snatching her shirt from his hands.

"Come on, Adrikins, this is our stop! Let's go!" Chloe called, quickly walking away. He knew that she hated the subway and only came because he asked. Making her stay for an extra stop to help a girl she so obviously despised would only earn her wrath and his victim made it clear she didn't want his assistance.

He attempted to convey his remorse by gazing deeply into her sapphire eyes. She seemed to let down her guard in response, as though she was truly considering his apology. When the final call for deboarding sounded, he stood to his feet and walked to the exit. His foot was about to take a step outside of the car when it froze midair. A moment of regret passed through him as he considered the action he was taking. Sparing one last glance toward the girl, he noted her wrath had reddened her face once more. He looked down sorrowfully when he realized that it was too late to change her opinion of him.

Adrien chased after Chloe, finally reaching her when they were above ground. "What was that all about?"

The girl flipped her long golden ponytail. "With Marinette you mean? She's just a girl I went to school with, she always tried to steal my friends and humiliate me in front of everyone. I suppose it was nice to see the tables turned for once."

When he thought about it, Adrien began to doubt Chloe's story. Sure, Marinette had been quite angry with him, but he deserved it. Besides, even if what Chloe had said was true, it didn't give her the right to throw insults. His thoughts began to race in circles around his brain as he tried to reason an explanation that made sense.

Day successfully ruined, Adrien told Chloe he was going to head home, to which she stuck out her lower lip in a pout, eyelids fluttering. "But what about our date, Adrikins?"

"Date?" He was shocked and completely confused. "What are you talking about, Chloe?"

Adrien heard her sharply breathe in as her entire body froze. "Th-this was a date, right Adrikins?"

Shaking his head, he awkwardly answered, "N-no, Chloe, I just wanted to look at the decorations. You're my closest friend, but I don't feel that way about you."

Chloe growled and shook with anger as she yelled back, "Fine! I don't feel anything towards you either!"

Watching her storm away, Adrien shook his head. What just happened?

"Dude, women certainly are a handful aren't they?"

Adrien jumped at the voice and looked around to find a young man with glasses and a red beanie. The man held up his hands defensively as he chuckled. "Woah, someone's on edge! Calm down, bro, I don't bite, unlike Miss Diva over there," he said, tilting his head towards Chloe's retreating figure. "Name's Nino. Trouble with the girlfriend?"

Adrien stuck out his hand to shake and introduced himself. "I'm Adrien and no, she's not my girlfriend. I just wanted to explore the city for Christmas and apparently she thought it was a date. Really I just didn't want to come out here by myself and she's my only friend."

Nino pondered for a moment then flashed a smile. "Well, it's time you made some new friends."

They walked around for a couple hours and looked at the lights. Nino told Adrien all about his upcoming wedding and how he missed his fiancee while she was traveling abroad. Adrien couldn't help but wish that he had someone to share everything with like Nino did. That thought was quickly put away when Nino asked about Adrien's life and he began to talk about how overbearing his father was.

"Speaking of..." Adrien pulled out his cell phone when it started ringing, notifying him off an incoming call from Nathalie. "I should head back before things get too out of hand. Thanks for everything, Nino."

Nino clapped him on the back. "That's what friends do, bro." They exchanged numbers and Adrien made his way back to his mansion. Upon opening the door, he was surprised to see his father waiting at the top of the stairs. He briefly wondered how long the elder Agreste had been standing there, but his sharp voice cut the thoughts short.

"Adrien," barked Gabriel, "I need an explanation this minute for your disappearance."

His hand felt it's way to the back of his collar and Adrien nervously replied. "Well, Father, I just wanted to go out and see the city decorated for Christmas, like when Mom used to take me."

"And how exactly did that place you on a subway while holding a pair of women's undergarments?" Adrien sputtered, unsure of how to respond. "You're very fortunate that Nathalie was quick to pay off the tabloids who wished to publish the photographs, Adrien. However, gossip has already begun to spread about your poor manners."

"It was an accident, Father! I didn't mean to-"

Gabriel held up a hand to silence his son. "Intentions do not matter to the public, they only care about what they see. Today, they saw Adrien Agreste knocking down a young woman and leaving her to clean up the mess he caused her all on her own. This childish behavior has to stop, Adrien. You are not to leave this house without your bodyguard again. Do I make myself clear?"

The younger Agreste looked down at his feet. "Yes, Father."

"Good. As for the other issue... We need to restore your image to the public. Nathalie will be researching how to do so and will notify you of what is to be done."

That was how Adrien found himself looking at his reflection, adorned in a pointy, bright green hat wrapped with a yellow band. A matching shirt with a white collar and cuffs was held closed by a zipper and a thick black belt. His shoes were pointed and curled toward the top of his feet, black as well. The outfit was embarrassing, but nothing, nothing could compare to the tights. Bright yellow tights adorned his legs and dug uncomfortably into his waist.

Nathalie decided that the best way to get back into the good graces of the public eye was to have Adrien pose as an elf to assist in taking photos with Santa at Place des Vosges. The sessions began tonight and ran on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday until Christmas. Supposedly, Paris would see the model spreading Christmas cheer to the younger population in the city and they would realize that he had a heart of gold. Anything that stated otherwise would be dismissed as a lie to slander his good reputation.

Adrien was simply a volunteer, the hope being that he could use his modeling experience to get the children to smile. He was nervous, not having a lot of exposure to little ones since he was an only child. Yet, he dreamed of being a father himself one day, so he hoped that this would be a good learning experience.

The car drive felt longer than normal in the uncomfortable costume. Adrien tried looking out the window in order to distract himself from his predicament. He was in the same street where he met Nino. Everything looked the same, except for the addition of flyers advertising a lost kitten. Adrien thought the photos of it were cute and briefly contemplated asking his father for a cat of his own. Before long they reached their destination and he shelved the idea. Upon arriving at the park, Adrien was escorted to meet 'Santa'.

"Ah, Adrien. I've been expecting you." An extremely short Chinese man in a red suit approached him, faux beard bouncing along with his steps. "My name is Santa Clause, but if you see me out of the suit you may call me Mr. Fu," he conspirationally whispered with a wink.

"Nice to meet you, sir," Adrien cheerfully replied. He had never seen Santa portrayed as Asian, but the man gave off such a strong sense of peace and wisdom that the role seemed to suit him well. Genuinely looking forward to working with the man, Adrien shook his hand. Not long after, the park began to fill with children of all ages. Parents escorted their kids to sit on Santa's lap while other 'elves' kept everyone in line.

Looking around, Adrien decided he probably had the easiest job out of everyone and he felt a little guilty. These people were working hard for their money while all he had to do was strike a pose and he made millions. His father had made it clear, however, that if this wasn't successful his reputation could suffer further damage. So, Adrien decided to stand firmly next to Santa, smiling when he was told.

The night began to drag once more families came, causing the line to grow. Whines began to fill the air as the kids became restless from the wait. After several more hours they finished for the night and all of the employees sat down, exhausted from the day.

"I can't handle this. I'm sorry, I quit!" Adrien turned to see a teenage girl throw down her elf hat and walk away. Alarmed at her behavior, he turned toward Mr. Fu to see how he would react.

"It happens with least one of our employees every year. Little ones can be quite a handful if one does not have patience," he looked to Adrien with sorrow in his eyes. "A child's life is like a piece of paper on which every person leaves a mark. Make sure you leave a positive one, Adrien."

The simple proverb echoed in his mind as he helped clean. Not long after the girl left, a tall, lanky man with sharp features and thick curls of black hair strode in. Adrien watched as he walked straight to Mr. Fu.

"Ready to go, Fu?"

"Not yet, Plagg. I would like to stay until everyone is ready." He seemed irritated at the older man's response, but simply shoved his hands into the pockets of his black wool coat. Everything he wore was black, the only flash of color being his bright green eyes.

"Couldn't help but notice Ms. Grumpy Pants storming off. She gave me her uniform."

"Yes, she couldn't handle the pressure. It's a shame, she really did have potential."

Plagg cleared his throat awkwardly and shifted his balance as he muttered, "I couldn't find him, I looked everywhere."

Mr. Fu looked at him, worried. "I'm sure he will show up soon. There are only so many places a cat can hide after all."

Adrien's ears perked at this statement and he walked towards the men. "Excuse me, I couldn't help but overhear you conversation. Were you looking for a lost cat?"

"Yeah, he ran away a couple days ago. Little black thing, won't last long in this weather," Plagg replied casually. He almost seemed like he didn't care about the kitten's fate, but Adrien noticed the way his eyes glistened with unshed tears.

"Earlier today I saw some flyers over in the eighth arrondissement on the way here with photos of a black cat. Does he have green eyes?"

Mr. Fu and Plagg looked at each other in surprise. "That must be him, though I'm surprised he traveled so far on his own," the older man said. "Alright, Plagg, let's head out and find that adventurous cat."

"Sure thing, Fu. I parked in the usual spot, head on over, I'll be there in a minute." Plagg began to walk towards Adrien. His presence was a little intimidating despite his lithe build and Adrien found himself a little nervous. "Hey, kid, thanks for telling us about the flyers. I wasn't looking forward to telling him that the cat was probably an ice cube. I would say that I owe you one, but then you might try to use that against me, so let's go ahead and get even."

Adrien felt rather lost when suddenly Plagg shoved an oriental box towards his chest. It almost fell to the ground before Adrien could catch it, but his reflexes kicked in at the last second.

"The old man gave this to me since I'm always driving him around, but I don't really care about it. He mentioned something about bad luck or some other mumbo jumbo like that."

Blinking, Adrien couldn't believe the man in front of him. He was irritably nonchalant, yet there seemed to be more below the surface. "Wait, are you and Fu related?"

"Ha! Please. He's been my next door neighbor for the past six years. I'm more like a glorified chauffer than anything else honestly."

"Oh, sorry." Adrien's focus returned to the box. He lifted the lid, revealing a silver ring inside. "What did you say about this?"

"Two words: bad luck. The old man believes in that kind of thing. I've never worn it, it's not really my style. Besides, you seem like you could use it."

"Bad luck?" The blonde raised a skeptical brow. "You think I could use bad luck?"

"Well, yeah. Everyone's talking about how you're a huge jerk and a perv."

Adrien flushed. "And you don't think that's bad luck?! I'm stuck working here for the next month while I'm trying to save my reputation!"

"Exactly! Your PR people probably paid off some of the witnesses and have you all dolled up trying to save face for your dad's company. Be honest, you don't really care about any of that, you just want to think for yourself, don't ya, kid?"

Plagg's astuteness surprised him. Was he that easy to figure out? "Yeah, you're right. But how would bad luck help me?"

"Face it, kid, your life will always be perfect, squeaky clean. This little subway incident will blow over within a week, that's not bad luck. You'll never go through a hard time, never make an irreversible mistake. Someone else will always pick up your messes. It's a prison with gold bars. The only way to live your life the way you choose is if you break free.

"You need some real destruction if you want to do that. That kind of chaos only happens with truly bad luck, the kind that no one can fix up or repair for you. You need to reach a point of no return, where going back to your sterile life is no longer an option. You'll either sink or swim, but it'll be up to you to figure out which direction you take your life. Decision's all yours, kid."

He felt the cool of the metal between his fingers as he examined the ring. Perhaps Plagg was onto something. All his life Adrien longed to be a part of the real world, not boxed up or put on display like an animal at a zoo. Normal people didn't have Nathalie's to cover up their mistakes. They dealt with their problems head on instead of throwing money at them. Families spoke to each other instead of pretending to be happy when in public and worlds apart behind closed doors. Maybe he could use some bad luck after all.

Plagg had already walked away by the time Adrien made his decision. He slid the band on his right ring finger, hoping that it might bring the change that he had been so desperate for.


	3. Baby, It's Cold Outside

**Ring ring**

 _Ugh, snooze._

 **Ring** **ring**

 _Where is my phone? It's too early for this!_

 **Ring ring**

Deciding that trying to feel for her phone wasn't working out, Marinette sat up and saw the small screen flashing on her desk. She rushed down the stairs from her loft bed when she realized that it wasn't her alarm, but a phonecall. Luckily, she answered it on the final ring before it could go to voicemail.

"Hello?" Marinette answered, wondering who could possibly be calling her at this hour. She pulled the phone from her ear to check the time. _6:32!_

"Hello, I saw your flyers around town late last night and I believe you are in possession of my cat," a male voice responded.

Immediately Marinette's head perked up and her drowsiness washed away. "Oh! Yes! Is he a black kitten?"

"Yes, that's him. Quite an adventurous one, isn't he?" The man on the other line let out an amused chuckle.

"I noticed! He gets into everything!" As she made the comment, Marinette watched as the kitten knocked her pencils off her desk. He had been keeping her on her toes the past couple days, constantly pushing items off of furniture, hiding in places that she hadn't known existed, and pulling yarn from who knows where. She had attempted keeping her yarn in various places, going as far as putting it on the top shelf in her closet. Still, when she reentered her room there he was, on his back with feet high in the air, tossing the threads and pulling them between his teeth. Smiling, she continued, "He might be a troublemaker, but he is very sweet."

"That he is. It's a miracle he is so outgoing and good-natured. He came from an abusive home just a few weeks ago, but you would never guess it."

Marinette was shocked. "I had no idea. He loves everyone he meets and immediately rubs himself on them. It's like he just wants to make others happy."

"That is our little Chat Noir," he replied, smile evident in his voice.

"Chat Noir?"

"That is his name. I let my neighbor name him. He isn't the most creative man, but the name suited him. Speaking of my neighbor, he will be the one to pick up Chat Noir. His name is Plagg, you'll know him when you see him. Does this afternoon work, around four?"

"Yes, that would be fine." She gave him the address to the bakery, then grew puzzled. "I don't know anyone by that name though, how will I know-"

"Great! Thank you very much, young lady. Have a great day!"

"Who he is?" Marinette lamely finished as the line clicked. _Great,_ she thought, _now how will I know who to look for?_ Shrugging her shoulders, Marinette decided that she had nothing better to do than wait anyway. She took her time getting ready, going as far as to curl her hair loosely instead of wearing it in her typical bun. It was a little past eight o'clock by the time she was finished, so she decided to head downstairs.

"Good morning, Tikki!"

The blue-eyed girl looked up from the dough she was kneading and wiped her brow with the back of her arm. "Good morning, Marinette! You seem like you're in a good mood today! What do you have planned?"

"Oh nothing special," she replied casually, "Chat Noir's owner called me this morning."

The dough Tikki was working on dropped to the counter in a limp pile and her eyes grew wide. "Chat Noir? Is that the kitten's name? Is his owner coming to pick him up?"

Marinette giggled at Tikki's surprise. "Yes and yes. Well, kind of. He's sending his neighbor this afternoon."

"Oh, Marinette, that's great!" Tikki wrapped her arms around her friend and squealed cheerfully. She then looked at Marinette and frowned. "I'm so sorry, I got flour all over you!"

"It's okay, Tikki! I live in a bakery after all, I'm used to it!" she exclaimed with a hearty laugh. Sure enough, her Jagged Stone t-shirt was dusted with white. "Like I said, I'm not doing anything special today. I was planning on just hanging out down here and sketching until the man comes for his cat."

Tikki attempted to brush as much flour off of her as she could, then grabbed a stool from the backroom and set it next to the cash register. "I'm on duty up front for the rest of the day, you can sit with me while you draw if you like!"

Smiling, Marinette sat down. "Thanks, Tikki. It'll make the day go faster if I have someone to spend it with."

The girls spent the rest of the morning chatting in between customers. Tikki stocked the shelves while Marinette tried coming up with new designs. By noon she hadn't came up with anything she was happy with, but she stayed positive. The day wasn't over yet after all!

They ate lunch upstairs and played with Chat Noir for one last time together. While she was gone he had somehow gotten ahold of an entire ball of yarn and her room was covered in fuzzy pink stands. She couldn't find it in herself to be angry though, instead laughing at the chaos he caused. Lunchtime ended all too soon and they headed back to the bakery to resume their earlier roles.

"Excuse me, Sugarcube, but I was sent here to pick up a cat. Though I wouldn't mind picking up something else while I'm here."

Marinette's head jerked up and she saw a lanky man with messy black hair leaned over with his elbow on the counter, winking at a red faced Tikki. Turning her nose up in the air, she replied, "If you're looking for a cat, talk to Marinette." She gestured to the occupied stool. "Otherwise, unless you're buying something, leave me alone." Tikki turned on her heels into the kitchen to put back an empty baking sheet that she had just finished unloading. She missed the way the man's shoulders slumped and his mischievous smile fell into a frown. He exhaled and turned towards Marinette with a dull expression.

"Hey, name's Plagg, I was told to talk to you. So, how about you give me the cat and we both get on with our lives. Deal?"

Dumbfounded by his lackadaisical approach, Marinette nodded her head. "I-I'll be right back. Meet me outside in a couple minutes."

She went upstairs and picked up Chat Noir. He mewed when she kissed her nose. "I'm really going to miss you, Kitty," she said sadly, looking deep into his emerald eyes.

After heading out the side door, Marinette saw Plagg exiting the bakery with a very large paper bag in hand with the store logo. She attempted handing the kitten over, though Chat Noir wasn't having it. He mewed loudly and dug his claws into Marinette's sleeves. Plagg was finally able to wrestle him away, though the kitten still complained loudly.

"He's pretty attached to you. It's a shame you'll probably never see him again. Oh well."

She was once again shocked by his bluntness and slightly hurt. "Yeah, I'm going to miss him."

Plagg sighed and ran a hand through his unkempt hair. "Well, what do you want?"

His eyes were laser focused on her own and Marinette was baffled. "What are you talking about?"

"You know, your reward. What do you want? Money?"

"Ha, please! What I really need is a job," she scoffed. "It hasn't been any trouble to take care of him, don't worry about it. I don't need anything."

"A job? Wait here."

Plagg ran towards his car, confusing Marinette further. She thought he couldn't get more strange until he came back with a pink elf costume in his hands.

"The old man you talked to is one of those 'Santa's' you see around town. He's one elf down, so if you really need work, here's your chance."

"An elf. Are you serious?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Fu wouldn't like it if I didn't do anything for you since you helped out his cat. Either you need a job or you don't. Figure it out and come to Places des Vosges in an hour either dressed up or bring the uniform with you to give back. I don't really care." He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked away.

Marinette looked down at the uniform he had shoved into her hands and pondered. She had already checked for work everywhere that she could think of with no results. Subconsciously, her hands reached up to her earrings. Once she felt the cool of the metal between her fingertips she was reminded of her supposed Ladybug Luck and couldn't help but wonder if this was fate.

Walking inside with a newfound determination, Marinette almost ran right into Tikki, who had been standing by the window.

"Woah, Tikki! What are you doing in front of the door?" she asked once she regained her balance.

"Who, me? Nothing! I was just... cleaning the windows!" Tikki replied quickly, grabbing an old rag from on top of one of the displays and wiping the glass. If she hadn't been caught in her lie before, she definitely was once the window began smearing from the butter coated cloth. She wimpered at the mess she had made, then turned to her friend, leaning against the frame.

"Were you... Checking him out?" Marinette asked suspiciously, smirking.

Tikki's face lit aflame. "NO! I mean, did you see the way he walked in here, calling me Sugarcube?! It was unbelievable! Then he buys the nastiest thing we sell! In the past four months I've worked here I've only sold eight of those baked Camembert spirals, and how many does he buy? A dozen! A dozen of those smelly things!"

Marinette raised an eyebrow. "So, you're standing by the window watching him because he gave the bakery business?"

"Of course not! Guys like him are trouble, Marinette. I just wanted to make sure that you were safe out there. There's nothing more to it."

"If you say so..." she muttered under her breath. Brightening, she continued, "Well, your worrying was for nothing! Guess who was just offered a job by your mystery man?"

Tikki shrieked in excitement, choosing to ignore the nickname. "That's great, Marinette! I'm so happy for you! Where will you be working? When do you start?"

Marinette laughed at her friend's enthusiasm. "Tonight, at Places des Vosges. There's a pictures with Santa booth set up there and they needed another 'elf'."

"That sounds like so much fun! You'll be able to make Christmas really magical for the children that come! What an amazing job!"

"Whatever you say, Tikki. It won't help with my tuition too much, but every little bit helps." She paused. "Well, I start in 45 minutes, so I'd better hurry!" She added ironically, "Wish me luck!"

.o.O.o.

Marinette was so elated that she was on her way to work that she couldn't find it in herself to curse her uniform. Her legs were freezing in the thin pink tights and even though the dress was long sleeved it didn't keep out the chill either. Wearing a coat over the ensemble would ruin the effect, but she could suffer through it for a few hours to get her paycheck. Finally reaching the park, she was greeted by a short, elderly man dressed as Santa.

"You must be Marinette!" he greeted, the skin around his eyes crinkling as his face lit brightly. "My name is Mr. Fu. Thank you so much for taking care of Chat Noir, I could never truly repay you for your kindness!"

Rubbing her biceps to keep warm, she replied, "The pleasure was all mine, really! Besides, offering me a job was the best thing that you could possibly do."

"I am glad," he said as he walked towards a large chair in front of a Christmas themed set, gesturing for her to follow. "Last night was our first evening of the season. We have a gentleman posing as a male elf for the photos, but some of the children requested a female. Unfortunately, none of the women here felt comfortable in front of the camera, but surely a young girl beautiful as yourself wouldn't mind?"

She felt her face heat at the compliment. "I don't know about all that, but I would be more than willing to help out wherever I'm needed!"

With a grin, he sat on the plush velvet seat. "Your co-worker should be arriving shortly. He's a very nice young man, I believe you'll get along nicely."

Nodding her head absentmindedly, Marinette watched as the park filled with employees, the men dressed in green and the women in pink like herself. She walked around for a couple minutes to greet everyone and to try to keep warm. All of her coworkers seemed friendly and she was excited to work with them. However, her smile faded when she returned to her station and met the employee she would be spending most of her time with.

"Y-you!" she sputtered, her face red and finger pointing at the man who had pushed her on the subway.

He seemed just as shocked as she was, his jaw dropping comically. Nervously, he fiddled with the hair at his nape as he gently responded, "Uh, hello?" His unoccupied hand waved awkwardly.

"Ah, so you've met!" Mr. Fu seemed to be enjoying the situation, seemingly oblivious to the torrent of negative emotions igniting the air in front of him. "Great! The gates just opened, so get ready!"

Marinette's eyes widened. "No, wait!" However, it was too late to find another station; the children had begun filtering through the park. She sighed in resignation and took her place next to her foe. Tentatively, he reached a hand toward her.

"Hey, I'm Adrien."

She turned away from him with her arms crossed in response. Marinette felt a little snobby about it, but she felt like her anger was justified and had no qualms about holding a grudge. Out of the corner of her eye she watched as Adrien lowered his hand slowly and looked down.

"I just wanted you to know that I didn't push you on the subway, I swear. I've never been able to ride on one before, or have a normal job. I've never had friends. It's all sort of new to me."

Marinette was so stunned by his sincerity that she couldn't help but face him. Blue met green and time seemed to slow. Adrien reached into his pockets and pulled out a pair of white knit gloves with hand warmers inside. He slowly held them out to her and she glanced down at them before meeting his eyes again.

When Marinette grabbed the gloves their fingers brushed briefly and she felt as though her body had been electrified. She slid them on quickly, relishing in the warmth, when a soft chuckle filled the air. When she realized it was coming from Adrien she was prepared to give him a piece of her mind until she looked down. Her rushing seemed to amplify her natural klutziness and the fingers of the gloves were on in reverse with the thumbs limply hanging from the wrong side of her hands.

It was pretty funny and she soon found herself joining in. Their laughter was loud enough to drown out the contemplation of the elderly Santa nearby. His eyes twinkled knowingly as he stroked his beard.

"Those two are made for each other."


End file.
